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Canada has the capacity to test 60,000 people per day, but has recently averaged about 28,000 tests.

Politicians and public health officials have said the ability to reopen the economy hinges on the ability to test more people for COVID-19 and trace cases in order to isolate and contain the virus’ spread.

Trudeau said the federal government has trained employees who can make 3,600 contract tracing calls daily, while Statistics Canada has an additional 1,700 interviewers ready to make 20,000 calls a day.

One of the country’s top studies on a potential therapy to COVID-19 could be delayed due to a stroke of irony: it’s struggling to find enough patients to treat.

Researchers across Canada have joined together to conduct a study, known as CONCOR (Convalescent Plasma for COVID-19 Research), to see if antibodies taken from people who have recovered from the disease caused by the new coronavirus can treat those still battling the illness. Dr. Dana Devine, the chief scientist at Canadian Blood Services (CBS), which is leading blood collection for the study, told iPolitics on Thursday that it might be prolonged because of a shortage of patients who are still sick with COVID-19.

Canada’s post-COVID-19 economy recovery must include significant federal and provincial support for financially hurting municipalities, says the incoming head of the largest advocacy group for local governments.

Carole Saab, who is set to become the new CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) this summer, says local governments provide many necessary frontline services and need financial aid from other orders of government to weather the strain on their coffers from the outbreak.

The pandemic-induced closures of all non-essential businesses and many public spaces have cost municipalities billions in foregone property taxes, utility charges and user fees. But, unlike provincial and federal governments, municipalities are prevented from running an annual deficit.

The federal Liberals, Conservatives, Greens and NDP are all applying for the Canada emergency wage subsidy program to help cover the salaries of its workers as political donations to all parties dry up.

Efforts to redraw Canada’s official poverty line have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the review period for the poverty line was scheduled to end in June 2020, Statistics Canada says the pandemic has made it difficult to receive feedback from experts, stakeholders and officials from different levels of government.

Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is doubling down on his promise to scrap the Keystone XL pipeline if elected to office later this year, slamming the Canadian “tarsands” oil it will transport from Alberta to the Gulf Coast.

“I’ve been against Keystone from the beginning. It is tarsands that we don’t need — that in fact is very, very high pollutant,” Biden said Friday in an interview with CNBC.

Biden also ignited controversy earlier today when he told a radio host that Black American voters torn between voting for him or current president Donald Trump “ain’t black.” Biden made the remark at the end of a testy exchange with host Charlamagne Tha God. (New York Times)

A jetliner carrying 98 people crashed today in a crowded neighbourhood near an airport in Karachi, Pakistan after an apparent engine failure during landing. Officials say there are at least two survivors from the plane, but don’t know how many people were hurt in the crash. (Associated Press)

The sons of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi posted a message on social media today, saying they have forgiven their father’s killers. The declaration could allow Saudi authorities to commute the death sentences of five Saudi officials convicted in Khashoggi’s slaying. (Washington Post)

A new analysis from the World Health Organization has found that the coronavirus pandemic is interrupting immunization against diseases like measles, polio and cholera that could put the lives of nearly 80 million children under the age of one at risk. (Associated Press)

And China is abandoning its economic targets for the coming year — the strongest signal yet that the government doesn’t anticipate economic difficulties relenting anytime soon. (The Globe and Mail)